Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

I’d like to think I know a thing or two about BBQ. My dad taught himself how to BBQ and competed in lots of BBQ competitions when I was younger. I never really helped him make anything, but I was an unofficial taste tester. Rain or shine, he was out there smoking something nearly every night. We even had smoked turkey for Christmas one year! He was constantly perfecting his sauce, rubs and the overall end result. After eating lots of different styles and flavors of BBQ, I developed a very specific taste for what I liked. I like smoky and sweet, not spicy. I like the traditional, tomato based BBQ sauce best of all and pulled pork is my vice.

Now that I set up my credibility…based on everything I know about BBQ, this next recipe is not BBQ. This is cooked pork covered in BBQ sauce. But you know what? It’s delicious and it’s the closest thing I’m going to get without fanning a flame for 14 hours, so I’m happy with it and I bet you will be too.

There’s really not much to this, but it’s tasty. Simple + tasty = perfection. Keep your eye out for when pork roast goes on sale and snag a really big one. This was on sale for $1.77/lb, so I got one that was 8 lbs. After it’s cooked, pulled and cooled, you can portion it out into large zip top bags and freeze it flat. You can reheat it later to serve with whatever you fancy — corn, baked beans, sweet potatoes (like I did this time) or anything else you can dream up. This 8 lb pork roast made 3 dinners for us, likely with a little leftover for lunch the next day.

Be sure to not get a pork loin. The loin is a leaner cut of meat and won’t result in the same end product. You want the roast, also called the butt. It’s more fatty and adds tons of flavor and keeps it all moist.

Be sure to use your all time favorite sauce. Don’t skimp and just buy the cheapest thing you see that you’ve never even tried before. The sauce is what’s going to give flavor to this, so splurge on something you love.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

1 pork roast, the bigger the better
BBQ sauce — I used 1 1/2 14 oz bottles for an 8 lb roast. You just need enough to pour over the roast, plus a little extra.

Pour just enough BBQ sauce into the bottom of your slow cooker to coat it. Place the pork roast in, cover with more BBQ sauce. Cook on low until tender and falling apart. The 8lb one I did took 8 hours. Just check it periodically after 6 hours, until it’s super tender.(Do not cook on high for a shorter time. Low and slow is what it takes to get the tender, falling apart-ness.)

Once done, remove from crockpot and allow to cool until you can easily shred it without burning yourself.
Using 2 forks or just your hands, pull it into bite size pieces and discard any excess fat. Return to crockpot and stir to coat in all the leftover liquid. Serve immediately or cool and freeze for later.